A toilet for a recreational vehicle typically is assembled from a number of plastic mouldings, including an upper moulding which defines the toilet bowl, and a lower moulding or "shell" on which the bowl is supported. The bowl has a waste outlet that discharges into the shell and the shell in turn has an outlet at its lower end which is the main waste outlet from the toilet. In a recreational vehicle, the toilet is installed so that this main outlet communicates with a waste disposal conduit from the vehicle. The waste outlet from the toilet bowl is normally closed by a bowl seal which can be opened for flushing the toilet. Provision is made to deliver water into the bowl for flushing out waste, and for rinsing the surface of the bowl.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,988 (Stewart--assigned to Sanitation Equipment Limited) discloses a toilet of the general type discussed above. The toilet has a foot pedal operated flush mechanism. When the pedal is depressed, flush water is delivered into the bowl and the bowl seal is opened for discharge of waste. Other examples of recreational vehicle toilets with a foot pedal operated flush mechanism are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,601,820 and 5,060,320 (both to Sargent, et al.).
The toilet disclosed in the '320 patent has separate pedals for dispensing flush water and opening of the bowl seal, but the pedals are designed to co-act so that flush water is always discharged into the bowl when the bowl seal is opened. A possible disadvantage of this design is that failure of the foot pedals to properly co-act, or failure of or damage to the flush water foot pedal could result in the inability to add water to the bowl, and possible consequent unsanitary conditions. Particularly since recreational vehicle toilets may be used only infrequently, it is desirable for the user to be able to leave the toilet in a condition in which the bowl has been rinsed, even if there has been some failure or malfunction.
An object of the present invention is to provide a toilet which addresses the shortcomings of the prior art.